Tube-side sequentially pulsable-flow shell-and-tube heat exchanger appratus, system, and method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a tube-side sequentially pulsable-flow, shell-and-tube heat exchanger apparatus and a chemical processing system comprising and methods of heat exchange employing the same.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 210,302, filed 17 Mar. 2009, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not applicable.THE NAMES OF PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT[0003]Not applicable.INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC[0004]Not applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0005]1. Field of the Invention[0006]The present invention relates to a tube-side sequentially pulsable-flow, shell-and-tube heat exchanger apparatus and a chemical processing system comprising and methods of heat exchange employing the same.[0007]2. Description of the Related Art[0008]U.S. Pat. No. 3,681,200 mentions a vertically oriented, impeller containing “shell-and-tube fermentor.” U.S. Pat. No. 6,084,125 mentions a vertically oriented, impeller containing “shell-and-tube reactor.” U.S. Pat. ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016](c) the means for sequentially pulsing a plurality of liquid flows, or at least a pulse-effecting portion thereof, is disposed in the inlet plenum of the inlet portion of the shell-and-tube heat exchanger such that a nearest portion of the means for sequentially pulsing a plurality of liquid flows, or the pulse-effecting portion thereof, is within an unobstructed pulsing-effective distance from the inlet apertures of the inlet ends of the tubes, thereby establishing sequentially pulsable fluid communication between the means for sequentially pulsing a plurality of liquid flows, or the pulse-effecting portion thereof, and, successively, the inlet apertures of the inlet ends of the tubes, the enclosed volumetric spaces of the tubes, and the outlet apertures of the outlet ends of the tubes.

[0032]Operation of the heat exchanger apparatus produces the tube-side sequentially pulsed-flow of the process fluid through the tubes (i.e., through the enclosed volumetric spaces of the tubes from inlet to outlet apertures thereof) and, thereby, provides, among other things, improved heat exchange rates between the heat exchange fluid and the process fluid and decreased fouling of at least some, preferably all, the tubes, especially when employing fouling prone process fluids (e.g., suspensions and mixtures comprising a polymerizable reactant such as an unsaturated olefin (e.g., acrylic acid)). The improved heat exchange rates and decreased fouling of the present invention are when compared to heat exchange rates and fouling of a comparable shell-and-tube heat exchanger that is lacking the means for sequentially pulsing a process fluid through tubes thereof. The heat exchanger apparatus of the first embodiment operates by maintaining the average (overall) flow rate of the process fluid and only locally varies tube-specific flow rates of the process fluid moving through the tubes. Further, when the fouling prone process fluid comprises a suspension of solid particles in a liquid (e.g., a slurry or dispersion), pulsing of flow of process fluid may inhibit agglomeration of the solid particles or, perhaps, effect deagglomeration of any undesirably agglomerated solid particles in the inlet plenum before the solid particles enter the tubes (e.g., by way of mechanical action of the means for sequentially pulsing a plurality of liquid flows), while the solid particles are in the tubes, in the outlet plenum after the solid particles have exited the tubes (e.g., by way of increased turbulence of contents in the outlet plenum), or a combination thereof.

Problems solved by technology

U.S. Pat. No. 5,379,832 mentions a “shell and coil heat exchanger.” All of the aforementioned shell-and-tube fermentor, shell-and-tube reactor, mixing devices, stirred vessel, and shell and coil heat exchanger lack pulsed flow capability.

A drawback of the pulsed solenoid valve device is that it works by stopping and restarting the entire refrigerant flow in an all or nothing paradigm.

Detrimental effects of such stopping and restarting include a lower overall refrigerant flow rate than would be achievable under same conditions but lacking the stopping feature and an increased likelihood that heterogeneous material (e.g., contaminants) in the refrigerant will settle into a hold-up void when flow is stopped, and thereby foul the water chiller.

Fouling of tubes and concomitant reduction of heat exchange efficiency in conventional shell-and-tube heat exchangers still plagues industries that employ such heat exchangers.

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